


Interludes to meet under

by Keenir



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warehouse 13
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-16
Updated: 2013-05-16
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/802824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers (Captain) has met Irene Frederick (Mrs) twice before the Battle in New York.  Now is the third time.</p>
<p>(with a guest appearance by H.G.Wells, Stark, and Banner)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Interludes to meet under

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [gladdecease](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gladdecease/pseuds/gladdecease) in the [xover_exchange2013promptmeme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/xover_exchange2013promptmeme) collection. 



**Three days before Loki's attack**

"I remember you," Steve said. _You came to recruit me a week or two before I met Dr. Erskine. If you'd talked to me before the War broke out, I would've accepted and joined you at your...warehouse, I believe you called it._

"It hasn't been so long for you as it has for me," Irene said. 

"And you look the same." 

She said nothing to that. 

"Did you come to answer my question?" Steve asked. 

"Michigan wasn't sufficient answer?" Mrs. Frederick asked. 

"You stood in the crowd and watched me punch Hitler. Which part was the answer?" 

"The part, Captain Rogers, where I did not re-offer you the position." 

"But why not?" Steve asked. "And what's changed between then and now?" _Besides me saving the world, freezing to a near-deathlike state, and waking up, that is._

"Less than you would think, and more than you would know," Irene said. 

_What?_ "You want me to come work for you?" Steve asked. 

"No." 

"You asked before," he pointed out. 

"We have a hiring policy," Mrs Frederick said. "One which encourages us to look among those like you were, and avoid those like you are." 

"A hero?" 

Mrs. Frederick told him, “Dr. Erskine approached you for the same reason I did. A shame what became of what drew us to you.” 

Steve stared at her. 

"Good day, Mr. Rogers. I'm sure things will turn up for you." And she was gone before he could come up with a reply to that. 

Steve went back to an assault on the punching bag, less inclined to show it mercy as he went over and over every possible interpretation of what she had said to him. 

**~~~~~~~~~**

**Two days after the victory at New York**

After the amount the three of them had guzzled down this afternoon, Steve had a feeling the three of them would nevermore be allowed into this establishment. 

"I hate you," Tony muttered, head under his hands. To Bruce, "And would you please stop whistling?" 

"Sorry," Bruce apologized while jotting down notes that Steve was pretty sure would make even less sense if they weren't upside down. 

"So you saw someone writing with chalk on the damaged buildings?" Steve asked Bruce.

"It appeared to be chalk," Bruce said. _And those buildings seem to be much repaired, or far less damaged than they had been. But nobody's had repair crews out there._ "She said it was a piece of Carthage."

"Wouldn't that be bad luck?" Tony quipped. "Given what happened to the place?"

"That's along the lines of what I asked. And she said it was from the Roman reconstruction of the city; something about focus and intent."

"Hm," Steve said.

"Do we have a problem?" Tony asked. "I can have Jarvis keep a bunch of eyes out for her. No problem at all."

Bruce chuckled.

"You know what I mean."

"As we said in my day, that's the problem," Steve said.

“Excuse me. Captain Rogers?” a young feminine – and very very British – voice inquired. 

Steve turned to look at who was talking, as did Bruce and Tony. 

"I'd offer to autograph anything you'd like, but I'm in a committed relationship," Tony said to the woman. 

“How can I help you?” Steve asked. 

“A word or two, perhaps?” she said. 

Steve shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m not interested.” 

“I’m sorry,” Tony told her. “He’s Steve, I’m Tony, that’s Bruce. And you are?” 

“Helena,” she said. 

Bruce peered at her, positive she was the woman who had been chalking the damaged buildings, but him and the Other Guy were both feeling lethargic right now.

Tony asked her, “And what organization might we say sent you?” 

She didn’t reply to that. 

“Not SHIELD? Huh.” 

“Can you tell us who sent you?” Bruce asked. 

“Of course,” Helena said. “Mrs. Frederick.” 

_That_ caught Steve’s attention. “She’s still not dead?” 

“The girl’s yet alive,” Helena said. 

Steve looked from Tony to Bruce. “Gimmee a minute here, guys.” 

“You’re sure?” Tony asked. 

“We’ll be by the door,” Bruce said. 

Once they had gone to the door, Helena sat down next to Steve. "You know _of_ the Warehouse, Captain," Helena said. "People such as the two of us, we can be sufficiently dangerous with our intellects. Add invulnerabilities and superpowers, and we're not wanted." _Be thankful you were never bronzed, Captain._

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Steve asked her. 

“A woman out of time.” 

“Paraphrasing that shrink’s description of me?” Steve asked. 

Helena smiled. “I don’t paraphrase.” 

That was the point when Steve realized the place was completely empty, aside from Tony and Bruce, and those two didn’t look like they were aware of anything beyond their table. "What's going on here?" he asked Helena. 

"Simply doing a favor, Captain," she said. And before Steve could ask for a clarification or a ‘why’s the room like this now?’… 

"Thank you, Miss Wells," Mrs. Frederick said, walking up to the table. "Hello, Steve." 

“I’m surprised to see you,” Steve said, turning back to look into his beer. 

“I very much doubt that.” 

“I thought you said I’m a blight on everything you and Dr. Erskine were doing.” 

“That isn’t what I said, and I know you know that,” Mrs. Frederick said. “And if your next statement is that you saved the world, then you should be aware that I’ve done that several times. As has Miss Wells over there.” 

“Then what’s your point?” 

“When I first approached you, it was not to hire a blunt object. We were interested in a screwdriver, not a sledgehammer.” 

_Okay, can’t exactly deny I’m a pretty good hammer these days. And back in the War._ “Hammer or not, I’ve got a job.” 

“SHIELD calls its agents when it sees a problem.” 

“And the Warehouse doesn’t?” Steve asked. 

“Most of our agents are on constant vigilance. You would be one of the exceptions.” 

“Why?” 

Mrs. Frederick smiled, deliberately misconstruing: “You would prefer to leave SHIELD behind for a life in the Warehouse?” 

“So you’re proposing I work for SHIELD when they need me, and for the Warehouse when you need me?” 

“Correct,” Mrs. Frederick said. “But for formality’s sake… Captain Rogers, I have deliberated, as have my superiors and their superiors," Irene said. "Would you be interested in the role of an iterant Warehouse Agent?" 

“Alien invasions are not weekly occurances,” Steve said. 

She nodded. “Think it over," holding out a card to him. “We’ll be in touch.” 

“See you around, kiddo,” H.G.Wells said with a smile and a small wave as she followed Mrs. Frederick out.


End file.
